Virtual-reality technology has been pressed into service for industry observers and potential passengers by Air Canada in a first for a Canadian airline to simulate the experience of flying on its Boeing B787 Dreamliner.

New performance standards for the long-range Gulfstream G500 and G600 bizjets have been announced by Gulfstream Aerospace after results from the rigorous flight-test programme showed the all-new aircraft exceeded expectations.

In a little over a week, on 22 November, we in the UK face the thrilling prospect of The Budget, which used to be called the Autumn Statement. Previously The Budget was in the Spring. Confused. And that is just the name as next year we will have the Spring Statement.

Whatever the Chancellor calls his financial considerations it will be preceded by a further round of lobbying aimed at reducing, or preferably abolishing, the travel industry’s most unloved tax, Air Passenger Duty (APD). Will it work this time?

An agreement for the future delivery to China of 300 aircraft worth more than US$37bn provided another high-level public relations coup for Boeing last week during the much-publicised US trade mission to the country.

Two important first have kept up momentum at Delta Air Lines as the carrier inaugurated its Airbus A350 service between Detroit and Tokyo-Narita and launched nonstop service between Seattle and Mexico City in partnership with Aeromexico.

In a weekend of celebration for Emirates, the airline yesterday announced a commitment to buy 40 Boeing B787-10 Dreamliners, hard on the heels of unveiling new interiors for its Boeing B777 fleet – including the industry’s first “virtual windows”.

Travel industry veteran Johan Lundgren has been appointed easyJet’s new chief executive. He replaces Carolyn McCall, who leaves the job at the end of this month but will stay on at easyJet until the end of December as part of the transition.

Achieving “early clarity” on post-Brexit issues and focusing on a cost-effective expansion on Heathrow were urged on the government by IATA last week to allow Britain to shore-up its international air connectivity.

A new enhancement to its app allowing passengers to receive boarding passes on their smartphones when connecting to 19 airline partners has been introduced by United Airlines. More connections are to be added “in the near future”.

Maintaining its record of innovation, Africa’s largest airline group, Ethiopian, is to launch a five-times-weekly service to Buenos Aires from 8 March next year using the Boeing B787 Dreamliner. It will be the airline’s sixth gateway to the Americas.

An 8.8% rise in revenue per seat to £55.29 for the six months to 30 September and a pledge to continue disposing of excess fleet capacity by shedding surplus aircraft helped Flybe to weather a fall in first-half profits, CEO Christine Ourmières-Widener said last week.

Two-thirds of British travellers are not prepared to pay for inflight wi-fi access, according to the annual Industry Report, released at WTM London last week. Of 1,000-plus people asked if they would, a resounding 67% said no.

Administrators for failed airline Monarch were dealt a blow last week after a legal ruling that the company cannot sell its take-off and landing slots. The administrators, who say they will appeal, had hoped to sell the slots to raise money to pay off creditors.

Asia’s largest international airline, Cathay Pacific, acquired a new part-owner last week after Qatar Airways agreed to buy a 9.6% stake in the company to become the third biggest shareholder after Swire Pacific and Air China. Qatar bought 378.18m shares of Cathay Pacific Airways at HK$13.65 (£1.33) per share in a transaction valued at HK$5.16bn (£500m) from Hong Kong industrial company Kingboard Chemical, according to a stock exchange filing.

Plans to open and operate a new-build property in Washington DC have been announced by Virgin Hotels, the lifestyle hotel division of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group. It will be the brand’s first foothold in the US capital.